The one-time top strategist for former President George W. Bush and since-departed political analyst for ABC News is running for lieutenant governor of Texas — as a Democrat.
Matthew Dowd advised Bush’s 2004 presidential bid before enjoying a long media career that made him a fixture of This Week, ABC News’s marquee Sunday morning public affairs television show.
On Wednesday, after months of signaling plans to enter the political arena as a candidate, Dowd announced he was running for Texas lieutenant governor as a Democrat. Dowd’s disenchantment with the GOP was accelerated by his opposition to former President Donald Trump.
“Sisters/brothers, I am running for Lt. Gov of Texas,” Dowd said in a Twitter post. “We must remove the cruel and craven GOP incumbent. I can’t do this alone. I need your help.”
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It’s an ambitious move for Dowd. In most states, the lieutenant governor is meaningless unless called upon to replace the governor, as happened recently in New York when Gov. Kathy Hochul replaced Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid a sexual misconduct scandal. Texas, however, is different. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, is among the most powerful elected officials in state government, rivaling even Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican.
Meanwhile, Dowd faces an uphill climb politically.
Although the Texas suburbs around Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have become more Democratic in recent years, the Lone Star State overall is Republican-friendly territory.
Trump defeated President Joe Biden in Texas in 2020 52% to 46.5%. In doing so, he captured some majority-Hispanic counties along the Mexican border that had voted Democrat for decades.
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Additionally, Republican Sen. John Cornyn won reelection with 53.5% of the vote.
With Democrats staring down a tough environment in the 2022 midterm elections and Biden’s job approval numbers slipping, Dowd’s path is even rockier than it otherwise might have been.
